Road cycling and safety in Italy.

Abstract

Background: Bicycles are key elements for local micromobility and sport activity. Several western countries have a long tradition of cycling sport activity, and they must face road safety issues.

Objective: The present study has investigated the safety of competitive road cyclists in Italy, focusing on a seven-year period, comprising the COVID-19 pandemic event.

Material and methods: An anonymous dataset containing 5754 injury events involving competitive athletes (Italian Cycling Federation, FCI) in the period 2017-2023 has been statistically analysed. Starting from public data (National Institute of Statistics) the mortality of FCI athletes has been compared to that of non-FCI cyclists.

Results: In the years from 2017 to 2023 the dataset presented 36 deaths of FCI athletes (7 during races, 29 during training sessions, belonging to the categories Juniores, Under 23, Elite and Master). No deaths involved athletes under 16 years old. Young athletes were characterized by a reduced rate of injuries when compared to Elite and Master cyclists. The data described an inverse correlation between the value of inhabitants per square km and the number of normalized injuries. Mortality of FCI athletes was lower than non-FCI cyclists, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic (p> 0.01).

Discussion and conclusions: The presented data showed a safer condition for younger FCI athletes when compared to Elite athletes. The comparison with general population using the bicycle for personal mobility is more complex, but some interesting data show a reduced mortality rate in FCI athletes. It is possible to speculate that specific training of FCI athletes and the regular adoption of protective equipment can play a role in reducing mortality: additional studies are required to clarify this aspect.